Pentax K-3 Mark III Review: I Really Wanted To Like This Camera… 

Thanks for taking the time to make this! There hasn't been a lot of independent reviews of this camera besides the big ones, but they seem to just fiddle with the camera for a day and move on. Someone who is new to Pentax shooting like they would in a setting where you need to get the shot was a great perspective and confirmed some of what I've heard about this camera. I do think probably different lenses would have had some role. The 77 is a 90s lens and while classic isn't exactly a stellar modern performer, and the 16-85 is good but not great and not fast. If you had some of the modern fast lenses I think it would've played a little better for some of the issues, but I think most of the AF issues you were having would still be there. That's what I'm hearing from others. A big step up for existing Pentax users in AF, but still far behind others. Keep up this channel! I like the way you think through things.

I know this is two years old, but I had to stop this midway through when Bobby complains about the metering and ISO….so you are shooting in Auto, with two lenses that are not optimal for this shoot, and you don’t have the metering system set up, and it’s the camera’s fault? It would be like having the autofocus on auto and irritated it focused on the background sometimes. I get you only had the two lenses to use, but this was always going to result in failure. The 16-85, it’s a tourist lens…something you carry on a trip to have a decent range and not carry your gear. Absolutely not a photo shoot lens - it’s a gloried kit. The 77 is a good lens, less aberration than the FA* 85, and good for portraits but not this action as you are going to be further from the scene. Honestly the Sigma Art series, or the HDDA limiteds would be best here. Even the 40mm 2.8 would have been a better focal length, but I would have gone with the 35hd dfa (which I don’t think was quite out yet, but still). And instead of a reset, move the focus point down because it was catching the background….

I appreciate you taking the time to review a Pentax camera, and your mix of praise and criticism. I have the new K-3, as well as a K-1. The new APSC blows the K-1 out of the water on AF. I do not know why you had such problems, though - and this isn't your fault - the 77 would be one of the worst lenses to test AF on. The AF modes on the new K-3 are not as intuitive as the best MILC options, and I wonder if you had the opportunity to make the most of them. I nail focus on my kid running toward me, inside or out - something that is impossible on the K-1. In any event, thanks for the review.

Oh Bobby... sounds like you and I are on the same page. Like you, I currently have a K3III from Pentax Australia for some reviews and impressions and I too will be doing my utmost to be positive. I'm in my first week with the camera and so can sympathize with a lot of what you had to say. My only benefit is I am actually very familiar with the Pentax range of cameras, I own the K-1 and 645D and have more lenses that I can adapt to the K3III for my testing and experience. I may be able to config the camera to avoid some of the pitfalls you were experiencing... maybe. But earlier this year I bought a Fuji XT-4, I knew (even before the K3III was released) it would not tick all the boxes I need going forward and needed to add a new brand to my bag, XT-4 is amazing. Shooting weddings and events with Pentax is extremely taxing and I had enough, thank you Fuji for saving my sanity! Pentax is definitely suited to slow shooting and most Pentaxians are hobbyist so I don't think they will all completely understand that 'professional' requirement, especially assignments involving portraiture work, it just feels like you have to work 10x harder with Pentax to nail the shot and move on. However... having said that... I leave my Fuji at home when I am doing landscape work or slow stuff, in terms of IQ, resolving power, unique rendering, colours... man oh man.. it's hard to look past Pentax. Factor in the very durable rugged and weather sealed body its a superb combo. But the K3III is more intended for action and not slow stuff, hence the lack of tilt screen high fps etc, so it falls into a weird category of not really being as good as the rest of the bunch still, MILC just has so many advantages now for professional portraiture assignments/sports that I don't know how Pentax can keep up. Perhaps they shouldn't and instead play to their strengths. Have you SEEN a Pixelshifted K-1 file when processed properly to take advantage of that feature!? Weow! Nice review, and sounds pretty fair (kinda what I would expect from someone with limited Pentax experience), you got a sub xx

I'm right there with you, dude. I have been a Pentax user for years. I love the build quality and color rendering, but it can be so frustrating to work with. If you have the luxury of stable lighting and being able to take your time it's great, but if you have to work quickly, with dynamic lighting situations and moving subjects it's finicky and unforgiving. I learned that the hard way.

If passively seeing the focus points isn't needed, I think the focus points can be set to always illuminate when focus is achieved. By default it's set to auto.

You hit the nail on the head .Being a Ricoh shooter since 1980 , the k3 mk 111 is the last crop senor camera l will buy with a pentax label .

Brilliant Camera - You have to get to know it. For action; Auto Zone AF set to face/eye height, Subject Recognition on, Both AF sensors Activated, Centre Weighted Metering or for single people set metering to focus point , Latest firmware, use * Glass (Pro Grade) plm fastest ie DA* 16-50 plm.

It would be interesting to see him do try this again with current firmware. The last few firmware updates for the K-3 Mk III has seen huge leaps in AF-C and other fields as well. Something to remember is that Pentax has never been known to have very good continuous auto focus but currently in my opinion the improvements on the firmware side I would say it strongly rivals the Nikon D500 which is really the only camera that you can still compare it to somewhat fairly.

thx 4 your honesty! This is one of the few reviews that really help!

Good review, being a pentax owner I can totally believe this.

"First time I've ever used a Pentax camera, so no bias." I'm not sure if that doesn't imply an "unfamiliarity bias," which I personally believe, in the case of Pentax, exists.

I guess it's also a matter of (1) managing one's expectations and, perhaps more importantly, (2) getting to know the camera in-depth. I told myself not to expect wonders from this camera over my classic K-3, I took the time to set it up properly for my needs, and just let it grow on me. And, boy, it has. The whole user experience, the gorgeous files it's producing, how it makes the Pentax glass shine ... - this is one heck of a camera. Not everyone will appreciate it, but as someone who started his photographic journey with a Minolta X-700 SLR in 1983, and who has used the K-7 and K-3 extensively, I kind of dig what the designers of this exemplary DSLR set out to do, and how well they succeeded with it.

Thanks for your honest review. Appreciate your findings. AF in the untrained hands in the past has been an issue, However we are seeing better improvements with AF. Personally I only shoot this camera outdoors as I am a landscape photographer and I tested the prototype very heavily. As you stated, they are certainly not the best performing lenses for this camera in my experience. There is the new 16-50 and even the dfa full frames that perform very well. Again, thanks for the review

Nice considered review. Are you experienced with IBIS? The pentax can easily be used hand held at 1/10 second. In the gym I would have used AV setting ISO400 and whatever f stop you needed. I think the problem with the K-3 mkIII is that it requires considerable user experience to get the best out of it.

Great review Bobby. As a former active Pentax shooter, it pains me to agree but all your findings are mirroring what I went through with the system. I am much older than you. I started my photography journey with a Pentax MX film camera, a true legend in the film world. I tried to like the Pentax digital system and bought a lot of bodies and lenses hoping that they would fix the persistent problems with the next release but they never did. I went to Fuji X system for a while and experienced some of the the issues and finally switched to Sony. While it is not a perfect system, it has none of the issues I had with the other two systems. Before my Pentaxian friends attack me for speaking up, I shot Canon DSLR for 14 years (Four years of full-time weddings), Nikon film for 18 years and Pentax DSLR for seven years. So I know a thing or two about what is working and what is not! BTW, I still own a K5IIs, the "Three Amigos" and four other Pentax lenses. I am never selling the "Three Amigos,." They are flawed with today's standards but they true works of art. Once a Pentaxian, always a Pentaxian!!

I do not own the mark iii but only the mark ii and there is a settings to tweak the shutter speed (and so iso) to normal, slower, faster, so you can adjust to what you are shooting. You can also limit the ISO to 400/800 if you like. The newer 16-50mm/2.8 would probably improve the continuous focus tracking, as the 16-85 is not very bright. Anyway great review!

Oh man, you don't want to do paid work on those lenses. Try the DFA Star 50/1.4 or 85/.14 and check again camera settings, like the drive mode, the auto-iso limiter, the AF behaviour. You just can't approach a new camera system and come to a conclusion. Look at paid works of some senior pentaxians, they are jaw dropping, and are made with older systems...

I wanted to thank you for your K-3 Mark iii review. After watching it, I felt the need to comment. And I won’t be a rabid Pentax owner, I promise :) First, my background. I “grew up” on the K-1000 and ME Super in the 1980s doing “semi professional” work. I gave up doing it in the 1990’s, and moved to Fuji consumer grade cameras around 2010, hated them (to be honest), and then just recently decided to get back into photography, and got a great deal on a K-3 Mark I. In fact, for the money ($300 or less v. $2k) I think the Mark I is a better deal. Reviewing your comments it really boiled down to three issues, auto focus issues, “ISO jumping”, and light metering issues. You are absolutely right, the right lens can make all the difference in auto focus. I had to try several lenses before I found an auto focus that worked well for me. I also realize I come from the day where there was no auto focus, so while I appreciate it, it’s not a huge issue. I tend to run on manual anyway, and find it more of a nice thing than mandatory. But yeah, a good lens can make all the difference. With respect to ISO jumping, I haven’t noticed it that much on my Mark I. But also tend to shoot in sensitivity priority a lot, just because it’s what I grew up with. I do understand your metering issues, after playing with the camera a few weeks, I turned on Expsoure Btacketing, which has been a godsend. When you shoot, it takes several images at different exposure levels, and then I can decide which one I like best. Now, on a larger issue, I think your use, and the “typical” Pentax user may be radically different. Most of the Pentax users that I’ve encounter tend to be landscape and still life photographers, and not so much indoor action photographers, or photographing fast action. It may be a simple situation that Pentax cameras in general, are not right for your particular use. You are right, Pentax users tend to be very passionate, for all the reasons you pointed out at the beginning. As an example, I dropped my K-1000 off the cliff at the Parthenon in Athens, and it dropped a large distance (way over 30-40 feet) and I went down, picked it up, removed the broken filter, and went back to shooting. Pentax’s are incredibly rugged. Again, thanks for your review!

I agree viewfinder is horrible in low light because is black. You can turn it on making it red but this does not help too much (but it helps). AF Cannot really say anything because I do not use it in continuous mode but I am not surprised that it does not perform "professionally". Of course could be a matter of tons of reasons (FB focus?) but Pentax doesn't shine in that area. What is surprising me is the high iso performance: i push it to 12000 ISO and i was 100% positive but I shoot raw so a NR is required. Since you're using the K3iii for a pro usage there are many item to check and set (sensor temperature, high iso NR etc). I had a session at a Circus last night and yes, I had some over and some under exposed shoot but, in my case, the changing lights, the subjects movement was a real challenge that I can be satisfied. So I think this a quite complex camera that I still needs time to get used to. Live view focusing. No, although i am wearing glasses no, i do not have issues for focusing. Manual lenses at f1.4 needs focus peaking but I think is normal. I am a Pentax fan but i agree many review are far from the truth so good to see some different opinion.

This was really great, and really balanced review. Been a Pentaxian for a long time. Amazing cameras outside of always subpar autofoccus. If Pentax could nail autofocus, they would be everything I would ever need. Thanks for the review, it's great to see more Pentax coverage. Would have really loved to have seen your experience with some of the DFA full frame lenses on this camera. Nor your fault I know, I'm sorry they weren't available. Your experience is the same as mine with Pentax cameras. You can capture great images, but you have to work HARD for it, and that's hard to justify with how good the competition is these days.

I’ve been debating getting this camera because I thought Pentax addressed most of its shortcomings, especially in the AF-C arena. My main reason for not pulling the trigger though is the lack of a moveable rear screen. Regarding AF, seen a bunch of reviews on the Mark III where people were impressed by the AF saying that it’s in the same ballpark as the Nikon D500. Surprised that you got such poor results, and, well, this too is giving me pause.

I can completely believe the autofocus isn’t great. I struggle to understand how you had high ISO when you had an f/1.9 lens at your disposal. I have shot high school basketball games as high as 3200, but those guys move really fast - and I can’t shoot wide open because I need more depth of field. I can’t see how the ISO would need to go that high.

I am sitting in the kitchen, it is dark outside and just the light from a computer screen and the light above the sink. Using the DFA24-70/2.8 and I am nailing focus, without hunting @f/3.2, all the time. Using OVF. Did you use the LCD or the OVF? If LCD it will probably hunt.

It's good to know where Pentax stands today. My first SLR was the Pentax Spotmatic that I loved. They were great cameras in the film days.

The KAF4 lenses like the 55-300 PLM or 16-50 f2.8 PLM lens would definitely get you better, snappier focus performance. The SV mode could also help curb ISO spiking and improve performance. Sorry to hear your experience was poor 😢

It’s the lens problem. The 77mm Limited is the worst for autofocus with interior lights. I do not own the K3iii, but I am sure all the described problems are due tu the lens.

Great review

Thanks for the review. I do wonder about your gym results. I can do better with my 2013 K-3 (your focus, ISO issues). I'm thinking some of that was settings. ISO never has to go above where you want it to, that's up to you. The focusing issues you describe seemed worse than my 2013 K3. So again I wonder about the glass, and maybe even the settings. Surely if you had the new PLM lenses it would have gone better, but probably not as good as what you're used to. I wanted to hear that the K3 just hits it out of the park even without the best glass. Sad it does not. Thanks again for the honest review. Cheers.

Haha... the moment you mentioned sports I thought: "oh no!" before you killed the music. :) I'm an enthusiast and only been using pentax. But my experience are the same. Not the greatest if you rely on quick AF for sports etc. But that having said I think every camera has their weakneses. It's all about if you can manage to work around them.

You nailed it. I gave up after 15 000 shots and 2 bodies. Love Pentax and have all the best FF lenses SDM and DC motors and the K1-ll works flawless and hits better even in Sports and birds in flight. K3lll is a big dissapointment also for me, Love the K1-ll, 645z, old k3 and KP so this was absolut a disaster. Have taken 6000 shots with Canon R5 with RF lenses after k3lll and that is even worse in exposure and colors. Sony A7R3 was my last experiense with tamron 150-500 and its far from K1-ll in IQ. Anyway I bought the Tamron 100-500 and preordered the 35-150 f2-2.8 and now wait for the A7IV. I do not expect K1-ll or 645z IQ but hope it will solve my Sports and Wildlife shootings. AFC and Fps. Pentax 150-450mm is sharper and better IQ than Tamron 100-500 but I have to compromise somehow. K1-ll will never leave me, rock solid performer in all situations. Try it. Thanks for a Great and honest review. Best regards Bengt in Sweden

Really interesting and useful review. Your comments remind me of the issues with my Fujifilm X-T1 - Great colours, features and build quality, strange autofocus and struggles in low light... But that's an eight or nine-year-old camera and can be purchased for a few hundred bucks second-hand. Shame the mighty Pentax tanks can't quite hack it in the software department.

You're right. This sounds familiar for pentax AF.

Thanks for taking the time to talk about Pentax. I have to disagree on one important point: the fact that this is your first attempt to shoot with a Pentax DSLR doesn't make you unbiased; it makes you unfamiliar with the brand's products. And it shows in some of the complaints you have. There's a lot of flexibility in setting the camera. I'm not going to comment much on AF... except to say that it's too bad you couldn't test with the DA* 16-50 PLM (*not* the old SDM!) and D FA* 85mm f/1.4 as a portrait lens instead. Anyway, I hope you'll continue to pay attention to Pentax.

Did it make sense using that lens in order to get the best result? You should have used a lens with PLM motor. I bought a K3-II and happened same like you. I really loved it but some points didn´t satisfy me.

Perhaps that you had never tried the camera before and had not used it much may have had something to do with your experience in some categories. As they say, don’t mess with the man that only owns one gun, because he probably knows how to use it well. I do get your complaints about the focus points not being lit up, I have a better time with the original k-3 display in that regard. But taking my k-3 lll out of the box and comparing it with my original k-3, at the moment I can get the shots I prefer more with the original k-3, but I also know that the reason for that is because there is a ton of things that I have yet to learn about the new features and adjustments on the newer camera that I have yet to learn. I am sure that you are of the same experience with any camera that you have used on a regular basis, you know it so well that you don’t even have to think about it when you make the adjustments. At any rate, thanks for the full review and your honest opinion about your experience with the camera, we need more reviews that tell the good and the bad, instead of those that are biased to one brand or another, who will flame a camera brand they don’t like, or over glorify brands they are fanboys of. I would just say that perhaps in the future a review could be made of a longer term use of a camera more than a few days or a week, so that the time to learn many of the adjustments and things could be done, like the actual owners of the camera must do to get good results on a new piece of equipment. I know that could be hard for an active pro photographer who has plenty of other things to do, but perhaps it could be done some day, just to give a balanced chance to see if anything changes about your final conclusions. Thanks for a good video.

The highly variable ISO is a weird outcome. I do wonder if there was a setting somewhere that wasnt correct. It almost sounds like it was in Tav mode with a floating iso adjustment.

It hurts me when I listen to your story. I feel you, since I've been there. People stand in front of camera to take photos of them, but I struggle and review each one shot and retake. Damn Pentax Can't focus on people. It's landscape system. If there is any visible or near focused background around heads, Pentax will catch that. Pentax avoids faces like plague. Especially eyes that are closer to user. Now, all said that, I use previous two models (K5ii and K3ii), for wedding. It's kinda OK system for that, depending on lenses. I only have older lenses by design. Just like 77 lens this is 80's technology. It's film lens. And it is acting like so. 40 years ago, that kind of shooting "hold-wait-done" was normal. Today people give you a moment to grab photo; they expect our expensive systems work better than their phones. But Pentax is just old fashioned camera with ultra high IQ. I we use ancient lenses we will get ancient performance. I had few brief opportunities where I could briefly test the latest Pentax lenses. And WOW, even with 3 generations older autofocus system (K5ii) camera performed completelly different. No more (or much less) struggling, fear. It just locked where I wanted. Confidently. Unlike my screwdrive 70-200 which can't track anything (literally), the Pentax 70-200 gave me 2/3 of images OK from tracking (in very low light). And it is not known camera to track at all. I am struggling with Pentax old lenses, not have money to switch system, but to fill up latest Pentax lenses (and camera), it is even more expensive. But the biggest problem why PENTAX IS NOT PROFESSIONAL SYSTEM at any aspect, is AVAILABILITY of gear. I can get anything from CaNiSoFuPan on test anytime with almost any Tamron or Sigma lenses for that systems. But for Pentax I can't get any gear 300 km around my place and only think I can is to order online and hope Ii will work for me. I can't send it back I can't sell it. No one will buy except for much lower price that it was new. So On each gear to loose money to just test it? I'm stuck. So I rather take projects that involve stil life. I'm not landscape shooter and there is no money in it unless one is absolutely the best and invest ton of money/time in travel. Many thanks for your review. Sort of I expected that kind of result. I know I would get better results with same gear, since I struggle with the system for 10 years and did everything to battle the issue and K3iii is no doubt much better than predecessor ... but still. I know lenses are holding my camera back and it would not improve magically on new improved camera. I really had to buy camera + 3 lenses which is a lot of money. I could buy anything for that sum.

I'm hearing different accounts of the AF of this camera, some claiming it's nearly as good as what is found in the best Nikon and Canon DSLRs, others finding it still subpar. But lenses are a big part of this. No screwdrive lens (such as the FA 77) will deliver topnotch AF performance on a Pentax camera, and I would never use such a lens for demanding AF work. And the DA 16-85 is a rather slow lens for a dark environment. As for the trouble with metering performance-I'm honestly not sure what to make of that, as I don't use anything but manual, even for my professional work. I do, however, use the "dynamic" features in manual (green button metering) as a starting point, and I'm actually surprised how often it gets it right (or near right). I would also hazard to suggest that the problem with the camera choosing an overly high ISO could easily be solved by using TAV mode. As for inability to check focus with the back LCD-that's not an issue I've ever had with any Pentax camera I've shot with. And I do often check focus for my professional work. Is this an issue unique to the K-3iii?

Thanks for review, your review is very direct and open. It would be interesting to understand why it happened so, k3-III looks like good camera but it has problems which normally any manufacturer of camera can not have if he is so long on market, they must know they work. So for me main question - what went wrong? What was the cause of this results? would be very interesting to see same approach review one year later, same camera but with all updates and new lenses. Maybe even new lenses + lenses from first review.

hey Bobby, this is a great and honest review. Raising criticism is important for the future, and I hope Ricoh-Pentax listens to professionals like yourself.

Interesting findings. As a K-3 Mark III owner I must add that this camera is above all previous Pentax cameras in attention to detail and performance. For the bad AF performance I suspect you had a poor copy of the DFA77, which is probably one of the worst choices for the job. Inconsistent exposure and "ISO hunting" are user errors. Use M and turn off Auto ISO, these are the basics of a "pro shooter" approach. There were some nice shots between the bad!

Hi Bobby! Saw your channel!

I gave it a shot and really wanted to like this review. But this unfortunately isn't even a review. It shows a guy who tried to use a camera without setting it up properly. Basically a sad guy. Reading a manual might help next time. For example, the AF-points and the entire OVF overlay can get illuminated. Besides, the "dynamic" mixed lighting job in the gym could be mastered with a 2014 Pentax K-3.

Solid Honest thoughtful review. I appreciate your points You definitely nailed the pain points and highlighted what I love about the mkiii. Great review!

I'm confused by the poor AF performance you report as my K-3 (original, not mk iii) does substantially better - I'm a pro photographer using it mainly for boxing and MMA, often in very poor lighting. As for the ISO issues in auto - realistically, who is going to buy a camera at this level and use it in Auto?,

Thanks for sharing Bobby! Can you review the Leica M9 pls?

Well the K3 has it's short comings especially considering the price point that's right,, but also the choice of lenses here mentioned .. Well those lenses would no Professional ever really use for a pro shooting.. Stay with the Star Lenses (maybe rent them because they are also bit pricier) and you get far better results in terms of better and faster focussing and overall picture quality.

used to own pentax K1 mk1 almost 10 years ago and was hugely disappointed with its low light AF capabilities so i let it go, guess AF issue still the biggest issue with latest pentax SLR

Feels like the lenses were technically against what you wanted. Pentax has lenses that are more capable. There were some firmware updates that also addressed focus acquisition. I am writing two years on from your review and I think the combination of pro-grade modern lenses and improved firmware have addressed your concerns.

Pentax screw drive is not the best - 80's tech. The newer lenses use the PLM motor and produce far better results when it comes to auto focus. my 55-300mm and 150-450mm focus fast, however certain image patterns can cause the lenses to hunt.

Totally user error. A proficient Pentax photographer would beat the subject to death, make sure it doesn't move, and then perform manual metering and manual focusing.

As a Pentax user , and kind of ex MicroFourThird user - I can say - The Focus Issue on Pentax Cameras - existed before. - Now, it's kind of also relative to the lenses - you have on your Pentax DSLR, and I'm kind of used to it. - More surprisingly for Third Generation of original Pentax K3 ( which I have ) - is : 1) NO TILT SCREEN. 2) No Pop Up Flash unit -------------------------------------- That being sad - It was out of my radar, and will never buy one. Sorry Pentax, or Ricoh whatever - but Pop Up flash is very important to me. - Why leave it of. On my first generation K3 and KP - I use it a lot. A LOT ! - Tilt screen - That part is also - pretty negative. - When you have PRO shooting at Church, Parties, - the Tilt is so useful ! Without it - I could easily miss all the shoots from above ! - Why leave that out ? No sense . ------------------------------------- FINAL The ViewFinder. - - To the client - as a professional photographer -I must deliver SHARP, WELL LITED, GOOD FRAMED Shots. The Client - WOULD NOT, ask me - how was to me - to shoot with enlarged 1,05 magnification View Finder. - It doesnt matter to him. And is doesnt matter to me either. -------------------------------------- MESSAGE FOR RICOH. Grow up !

Guys uses a film era lens on a new camera that supports PLM and complains its slow. Yeah thats like putting Ford Model T engine in a Subaru All Wheel Drive and saying it has slow acceleration. People don't use Pentax for professional work due to lack of availability in case need for repairs etc. Anyway, this review just feels unfair to pentax.

That's the downside of Pentax, the lacking AF capabilities. And it's funny because people say the AF on this camera is great. But those people must be Pentaxians, and good af for them is something much else than other photography enthusiasts. It's the same with the ff lenses like HDFA 50 1.4 or HDFA 70-200 2.8. They say these lenses have good af. It's not true, AF is crap, but not completely unusable. That being said, I love Pentax. I have two K1 cameras and I've shot Nikon D850, Nikon Z7, Canon R5 and Sony A7iii. K1 rocks in image quality and I'll keep mine even though I have Canon R5. The IQ is great! and the limited lenses on ff are magical. I hope you were doing back button focusing? But you're right af is bad and it's not just too bad to do sports, it's to bad to do many things, unfortunately. Still love Pentax though.

Did you heard about testing before professional application?

❤❤❤ PENTAX ❤️❤️❤️

Tak w całości masz rację. Marka aparatów fotograficznych Pentax nadaje się do wolnych scen nawet przy małej ilości światła. Natomiast z ruchem ta marka sobie radzi bardzo słabo. Sam użytkuję tą markę ale za taką cenę nie kupił bym tego aparatu. Dla mnie to jednak zbyt wygórowana cena za lustrzankę APS-C. Ja w większości użytkuję Pentax do architektury, przyrody ale nie do fotografowania szybkich scen. Popieram Twoją rekomendację w całości. Powiedziałeś to wszystko co jest mi wiadome od dawna. Pozdrawiam z Polski

Unfortunately the K3 mark III is not a grab and go shoot camera. The K3 mark III requires a lot of time to learn to use correctly. Once you understand how to use the focusing system, everything falls into place. The K3 mark III is definitely a photographer’s camera, its video is mediocre at best. I’d use it. for quick clips; and with that i would use 1080p at 60fps.

I think that you did not have time to understand the camera settings. That ISO problem is because you had the auto ISO on. The exposure shifting is because you didnt have the correct exposure setting. And even that could have been solved with manual exposure setting. When you have fixed lighting manual exposure is the road to take in my opinion. You need more time to spend with a camera (for getting the focus right) if its your first time using the system. Especially if you want to do a fair review.

First thing you should have done is set your own iso. This would have help I started my pro Journey in 1982 when you had to focus your self. But then I was shooting pro basketball. Now we have also focus

The autofocus has became better and better with recent firmware.

I regretted buying this, if I had my way, I would have bought the K1 Mark II.. Dissapointed.

well, you had this camera for the first time, and for a short period of time, you wanted to use it in a way that you learned on another system. pro photography is not only sport, action. this is only a small part of it...

Nice review but... you've been a pro photographer, for a couple of years, so you obviously know pentax. If you have never used one in all these years, could it be that you never felt anything positive/attractive about it? And so can you really say you come to this review with no bias? Also you're being lent relatively poor performing lenses (according to some other comments and a quick search), which, in a way, biases your review (though this part was out of your control). PS: Of course you may never have used a canon either if you've been a happy user of a nikon or a fuji (hence a question and not an affirmation)!

You don’t know how to use a Pentex camera you gotta go in and set it up the way you want it not the way the auto wants it so why don’t you try it again after setting up inside of the camera what you want and see what happens then

typical Pentax experience. Nothing has changed for the past 10 years. Awesome camera, awful AF. I have used K20D, K30, K50, K500, K5II, KS2, K3, K1... they all have similarly awful AF. I have come across lots of Pentax enthusiasts who praise the AF and as much as I've uncovered almost none of them were working professionals. I'm now using Sony A7III and needless to say, shoots like these are cakewalks.

embarrassing review ... who shoots aperture priority on a 'photo-shoot'? You are not worthy bobby!

I really wanted to like your video but no.

Ricoh is always so behind. Sad.

Cheers Bobby. You got a thumbs up from me. You nailed it in the coffin. AF was bad. Worse ever and there were so many other issues that l gave up on the system . I cant recommend it either. Watch out for the Pentax fanboys. Cheers~!